Just penning down some of my thoughts. If you look at the world today, it's actually not a bad time to be Singaporean. Firstly, the Sun is rising again from the East as it sets in the West. Several books and articles that I've read have led me to think twice about the health of the US and its current situation. Glaring right in our faces is the subprime issue which stemmed primarily from the US which, unfortunately for us, will inevitably have ripple effects with the Americans having the largest economy and being the chief consumer. Underneath that is the hypocritical nature of what has been the superpower for the past several decades. Spare the rod and spoil the child. The drastic measures undertaken by Asia after the financial crisis in '97 have somewhat managed to bring us back to the right path but similar measures don't appear to be happening at the moment in the other side of the world. Not only in the US but the unwillingness of the people in Europe to realise that the new age that we are living in does not allow for traditional social systems to work anymore, not to mention the aging population in these countries. There have been so many examples showing that the willingness to change and adapt to circumstances have allowed countries to flourish. I bet most people would be surprised to know that Ireland has the 2nd highest per capita income in the EU (after Luxemburg). Just about all we know of the island north of England is about the conflict between the Protestants and the Catholics. Well, they've managed to get themselves away from all that and transformed into a thriving economy.
Singapore may be a boring place at times but at least you know you're relatively safe here and you're equipped (if you try) with what you need to succeed in today's world. As you grow older and read more, you realise that truly, a lot of what you can learn must be initiated by yourself. Schools have always been very much focused on academia which is their primary role and they have taken on the task of helping you to develop as a person which also goes hand in hand. But probably what they have yet to do is to allow students to see the world in a macro light and how it is changing. There are many issues which students are not exposed to and have little knowledge of. Until they start to understand how the world is changing, it will be impossible to compete in such a place. Well, that said, school is always a great place to be to have fun!
And if you haven't read "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman (a journalist), you should start soon. As a person living in the 21st century, it is a book which you should read.
Singapore may be a boring place at times but at least you know you're relatively safe here and you're equipped (if you try) with what you need to succeed in today's world. As you grow older and read more, you realise that truly, a lot of what you can learn must be initiated by yourself. Schools have always been very much focused on academia which is their primary role and they have taken on the task of helping you to develop as a person which also goes hand in hand. But probably what they have yet to do is to allow students to see the world in a macro light and how it is changing. There are many issues which students are not exposed to and have little knowledge of. Until they start to understand how the world is changing, it will be impossible to compete in such a place. Well, that said, school is always a great place to be to have fun!
And if you haven't read "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman (a journalist), you should start soon. As a person living in the 21st century, it is a book which you should read.